UPDATE 5:28 p.m. — The Sounders declined to comment on Johnson’s potential call-up, but Schmid said hypothetically that it wouldn’t rule out a player’s involvement in a crucial Oct. 17 home game against Real Salt Lake. U.S. Soccer is expected to announce its roster on Monday for World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda (Oct. 12) and Guatemala (Oct. 16).
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Sounders FC forward Eddie Johnson revealed on Twitter late Friday night that he has been called up by the U.S. men’s national team, which plays a pair of World Cup qualifiers later this month.
There hasn’t been any confirmation yet — just a formality, it seems — and U.S. Soccer is scheduled to announce its roster for the upcoming games on Monday. Sounders coach Sigi Schmid has mentioned a few times that he’s been in contact with USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann regarding Johnson, though the latest update seemed to indicate a potential February call-up was more likely.
Sounds like Klinsmann couldn’t wait, and so ends a long wait for Johnson.
He burst onto the national-team scene quickly in 2004 and was a part of the 2006 World Cup team. Opportunities became rarer during some difficult years in Europe, though he remained in the mix to make the 2010 World Cup squad. It’s been a couple years since his last involvement.
This year, Seattle has been the scene of Johnson’s career revival. His 13 MLS goals established a new franchise record for a season and are tied for sixth-best in the league.
His reward was made known Friday night in the tweets below…